Tomorrow
by Jrmungandr
Summary: Nanaue, also known as King Shark, falls in love. The strange couple struggle to stay together in a world that wants to tear them apart.
1. Chapter 1

Arkham Asylum

October 7:08 pm

* * *

><p>"Yea, he'll be moved to Bellreive in about two weeks, they just need time to, you know, make a collar big enough for the monster," One Arkham guard said to his partner as they sat in a bulletproof booth in the reception area. His partner was silently listening while he watched the game on television, leaning closer and closer with every yard the Rogues made. "Ain't he getting a visitor today?" He blurted and then loudly sighed when the Rogues got flagged, "Bullshit," he muttered.<p>

The other guard checked the appointment book and with a look of disbelief said, "Wow, look at that. 7:00 pm. Someone's late. Maybe they changed their mind." For just a moment his partner looked away from the game and laughed, "Maybe they just didn't want to end up shark bait. Hoo ha ha." The two of them laughed loudly.

The lobby door swung open wide and slammed shut behind an attractive young woman wearing street clothes. She was soaked to the bone from the storm outside. Without hesitation, she approached the guards and said, "I'm here to visit Nanaue."

Football didn't matter for the moment as all they could do is stare agape at this woman. The guard closest to her handed her a sign in sheet and some legal papers, still unable to draw his attention away. She quietly filled out the paperwork, and then handed it back with her bag, "Here you go." She knew the procedure a little too well. The situation was very suspicious to the guards. What was a cute girl doing visiting King Shark?

The guard who had abandoned the Rogues checked through her bag, wadded up cash in a ziploc bag, random keepsakes, nothing nondescript except for a pair of headphones that he tried to confiscate. She noticed. "I think you'll find that those aren't against regulations. Not for Nanaue's case."

The other guard, who'd been spending time studying her name and ID, looked up at her and then back to the notes on the appointment book. 'Headphones permitted'. The other guard begrudgingly replaced the headphones and handed her bag back to her via the drawer under the counter.

He exited the booth and pulled his pants up a little, "Okay, one last thing, frisk." He expected her to be defiant but she cooperated silently. She didn't want to risk not seeing Nanaue.

"I'll escort you to his cell." Still highly suspicious, the guard left the game in the back of his mind and led her to the general holding cells where they usually put prisoners in transit. Nanaue was the only one there.

At the sight of her he practically ran to the door. "Tanya," His scratchy voice cooed. The guard flinched and pulled out his baton, "Get back! BACK AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" Nanaue obeyed with an indignant grunt and put his hands up until the door was open and she was at his sides.

She flung herself into his arms, to the guards dismay, and hugged him like a lover. "Tanya, I missed you."

"I know Nanaue, I know. I missed you too."

The guard couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wasn't trying to eat her at all. They sat down together and she put one earbud in his ear and then one in hers and they just sat silently holding hands. It was fucking impossible. The guard stood by their cell for a long moment before his radio hissed and his partner called him back to the booth. "I'm not supposed to watch these two?" He spoke into the unit on his shoulder. "No, there's a camera in there, he's fashioned with a tazer-collar that should knock him out if her tries anything."

Reluctantly, he left the strange couple alone.

* * *

><p>Tanya leaned her back against Nanaue's chest, his hands resting on her legs. They had been listening to some music and Nanaue had been trying to figure out when she'd tell him about the breakout plan. Suddenly, the music cut and her voice rang in his ear.<p>

"Shhh, don't react, they're still watching. This is a frequency only you can hear, so even if they check my mp3 they won't find this message. Pretty cool huh? So here's the plan-"

Nanaue held her tighter to his chest. She smiled softly and closed her eyes.

"I have a way to get you out scot-free. Well. Not free, they'll still be looking for you but I have a new base. They won't find it. All you have to do is relax, and hold on to whatever you can when the time comes. Kiss the top of my head if you understand."

He kissed her head, taking in the unwashed sent of her hair and smiled.

The music returned and she whipped around, staring at him intently. Her eyes were the polar opposite of his, clear blue and filled with light. On bad days they were like the ocean in a storm. When she was up to something he could see the glint of her idea trapped in them. Tanya took his hand and tapped her pointer finger on his palm in a pattern. He watched and looked back at her as she repeated the pattern slower.

"M.O.R.S.E"

He nodded and took her hand.

"Y.E.S"

She smiled eagerly and slowly sent him a message.

"T.H.E."

She rubbed the ball of her palm on his when she wanted to space words.

"G.U.A.R.D.S"

"A.R.E"

"S.T.U.P.I.D"

They laughed a little and he laboriously worked out a message for her, pausing inbetween each dit and dot to double guess himself.

"Y.O.U"

"A.R.E"

"P.R.E.T.T.Y"

She pushed his chest and smiled sheepishly.

They were interrupted suddenly by both guards and even the Batman himself. "Time's up."

Tanya scowled slightly, confused and worried about the Bat's presence, "I still have five minutes."

Batman growled, "I have questions to ask, you can see Nanaue in Max."

The football guard came over to her and grabbed her arm, but she pulled away. "Don't. Touch me."

Tanya turned to Nanaue with a longing look on her face, "I love you, Nanaue." She took his large head in her small hands and kissed his forhead delicately. He took her head in return and pressed his mouth against hers. The guards shuddered at the awkward kiss.

"Now." Batman roared impatiently.

"I love you, Tanya." Nanaue called after her. When he couldn't her anymore, his shoulders sunk.

Batman remained in the room.

"There are no bodies I ate them. I told you." Nanaue said bluntly.

"That's not what I want to know. How do you know Tanya Morrow?" Batman scowled.

Nanaue looked up in confusion, "What do you want with her? She hasn't done anything wrong."

Batman remained adamantly silent.

"We met... months ago. She was the only person who didn't scream when she saw me. She might actually belong in here because she likes me," He tried his hand at humor and ended up putting his foot in his mouth.

Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a flat card shaped piece of glass. It had a thin hairline crack on it. "Do you recognize this?"

Nanaue did. Nanaue wasn't going to let Batman know. "A peice of plastic? Glass? I don't know." It was a device of Tanya's making, but he had no idea how it worked or what it really did so he relied on that confusion to make a convincing act. Batman bought it after a moment and turned to leave.

"Aren't you going to tell me to stay away from her?"

Batman paused. "If you like each-other I can't make you stay away for long. Just look at Harley and the Joker."

With that, he left Nanaue to ponder.

* * *

><p>Tanya had been waiting in the interrogation room, fuming. By the time Batman arrived she was less worried about what he knew and more furious that he'd interrupted the only visiting period she could have with Nanaue in weeks.<p>

He dropped the card on the table and studied her reaction.

She appeared unimpressed by it.

"Can I go? Do I need to call my lawyer?" She crossed her arms.

"You don't have a lawyer, you're homeless." Batman tried the insult tactic because it usually worked on people of her profile.

Her jaw tightened and she looked away. He'd hit a chord.

"Do you know what this is?" He pushed the card forward.

"No." She hissed through her teeth.

"It has your finger prints all over it." Batman leaned forward on the table.

She was quiet for a moment, avoiding his gaze. "So I touched it? So what? I dig through trash for a living. If I see anything that looks like a card I get a little hopeful."

"So you thought you could commit fraud on someone's bank account?"

"Is that really the point of this conversation? You came all the way out here because you wanted to know if some hobo is using other people's money to eat? And just so you know, every single card I've found I've returned. Occasionally I get rewarded. "

Batman scowled. "Pick it up."

"What?" She looked incredulous.

"Pick it up."

"Why?"

"Just do it. Or I'll make sure you never see Nanaue again."

Tanya didn't want to risk that bluff. She couldn't have Batman watching her.

When she touched it, nothing happened. She sighed and dropped it.

"There. Now, can I go home?"

Batman was deep in thought.

"Come on, if I wait too long the beds will be filled up."

Batman took back the card and stood up straight. "Go."

Tanya got up and walked to the door. "You know, if you really wanna make Gotham better you shouldn't persecute it's unfortunate's." The door slammed, and Bruce was left with an even bigger mystery.


	2. Chapter 2

8 months earlier

Outskirts of Gotham City

King Shark swam for fear of being caught through the sludge of the cities sewers, searching for a place to hide. Gotham had an immense under-ground system, and likely, if he laid low, he wouldn't get found. That's how Killer Croc did it until he surfaced and Batman arrested him. He just wouldn't be stupid. He could find a place near a butcher's or a morgue and wait until the heat on him died down then he could try leaving the country.

He knew that was a useless plan, but there was no other option but Bellreive.

After swimming for a few hours he picked a grate at random and forced it out of place with some difficulty. He found himself in some strange underground building. There were no windows and he knew he'd gone deep, but he didn't expect this. The place was sparsely lit by electric flood lights. Someone was here. He could even smell them. He took a step and was instantly attacked by bright light and loud sirens. He protected his head as he felt something big grab him and restrain him.

"Intruder secured, mother." A hollow, mechanical voice came from his restrainer.

The lights dimmed and the sirens stopped. "Oh shit." A woman's voice.

"It's King Shark!"

His eyes finally adjusted to the rapid changes in light and there, in front of him, was a young woman surrounded by mechanisms, some seemingly finished others works in progress. She held a power tool in her grimy hands and dropped it on the shoddy worktable near her.

"You're King Shark, right?"

Shark growled, "Who are you?"

She laughed loudly, making him uncomfy, "Well I'm no one... for now."

She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around for something. After digging through the mess on several different desks she pulled out a paper and a sharpie, "Uh... autograph? Please?"

Shark stared in utter disbelief. "I...what? You-" He strained against his captors strong grip. He assumed it wasn't human. She must have made it. "Aren't you scared? I eat people!"

She hesitated, her hands sinking, "Well, yea..."

Whatever thought was worrying her passed, "But I find you genetically fascinating." Good enough reason for her.

King was already sure she was crazy. He sighed and reached limply with his wrists for the paper and sharpie, unable to even touch the tip to the newspaper clipping.

"Corvo, release. Caution mode." She ordered and Shark was free, but he could still feel a looming presence behind him.

He signed the paper and handed it back to her. Their fingers touched.

"You're not going to turn me in. If you try I'll eat you. I don't care if you're my entire fanclub." He finally took a look at what had been holding him so tightly. It looked like something straight out of a modern scifi movie. At least a foot taller than him and covered in black polished steel armor was a humanoid shaped robot known as Corvo.

"Don't call him robot. It means slave. He doesn't appreciate it and neither do I." The strange woman said and made Shark question if she could read minds.

"You were thinking it." She smiled devilishly, "And don't worry, if I turned you in I'd get caught too."

"Caught?" Shark smirked, "Are you doing something you shouldn't be doing?"

The woman had this eager, childish glee when he asked her that. "Let me show you."

Without hesitation she ran behind him and pushed him forward. Shark was reluctant to let someone touch him, but it did feel nice...

"Corvo is my most advanced mechanism yet. His brothers and sisters are just as impressive, but they all have different talents." She took him a floor lower, and there, hanging on racks, were at least a hundred different robots. They all chirped and hummed as she passed. "My babies. They're singing." Shark couldn't hear a tune. It just sounded like banging and whirring.

She pulled out a small card-shaped, see-through object and reacted to her touch. It seemed to be a phone or a computer, as she swiped through things, but then a fully formed hologram of Corvo appeared. Shark was very impressed. "If Batman or the world knew I've surpassed modern technology by light years they'd get greedy."

Shark looked at Corvo. "So... why did you make them? World domination?"

The woman looked perplexed by the question. "No. I uh... no I was lonely. I just started making them."

Lonely. With a face like that? Shark wanted to laugh, but he saw a familiar look of pain in her eyes. He felt the same way. "You... don't have friends? A family?"

"I'm... I don't get along with people." She put the card in her pocket, "But my family is right here." Corvo, without an order, lumbered to her side and put his hand on her back. The other machines seemed to coo to her.

It was awkwardly quiet for a moment, then Shark's stomach roared.

As if by instinct, Corvo snapped upright and his forearm turned into an intimidating looking futuristic gun. He aimed defensively at Shark.

"WOAH! HOLD YOUR BISCUITS!" The woman looked as small as a toddler as she lept up and grabbed Corvo's arm, dangling from it. "You're hungry? I want to keep my life, how's about we cut a deal? You won't tell people where I am, I won't tell people where you are, you don't eat me, I feed you, DEAL?!" She finally managed to pull her creations arm down, but it was of his own volition it seemed.

Shark nodded.

The woman grabbed the card from her pocket, one hand still on Corvo's arm. She seemed to search for something for a moment before dialing a number. Shark, paranoid that she was calling the cops, stepped forward. Corvo's arm shot up again, pulling her up with is. She yelled again and put the call on speaker.

"Butch's Butchery, how may I help you?" A gravely voice echoed from the tiny device.

Shark relaxed, but Corvo didn't relieve his position.

"Yes, can I place a very large order for delivery?"

"How large?"

"I need, like, five whole cows."

Silence for a moment.

"I have A LOT of money."

"Well, we only have parts."

The woman sighed and her face pinched in frustration, "Like big rib racks?"

"Yes. We also have select cuts-"

"I just need a lot of meat."

Long pause.

"Is this some sort of prank?"

"NO! Listen do you want eight thousand in cash for as much meat and slops and leftovers you can load into a truck or not?"

"...Ten."

The woman's face filled with rage.

"FINE! TEN! Please this is kind of important."

The butcher on the other end laughed a little, "What, you got sharks or somethin?"

She looked at Shark with her eyebrows raised, "No. I have turtles."

There was another drawn out silence, "Are you doing this or not?"

"Sure, what's your address?"

* * *

><p>Shark sat on the cold concrete floor and twiddled his thumbs while they waited. The woman was leaned against a desk, obviously eager to get back to work as she kept staring at the papers and parts. Shark could almost hear the gears working in her head. He felt some sort of attraction to her, maybe it was simply because she wasn't scared of him.<p>

"What's your name?" He asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh," She shifted from one foot to another nervously, "Tanya."

"Tanya," Shark rolled her name off his tongue and smiled. "I'm Nanaue. That's my real name."

"Nanue?" Shark liked the way she said his name, "Nice to meet you Nanaue."

They talked some more, opening up little by little. Nanaue told her about his home in Hawaii, she told him how she'd never had a home. The conversation took a positive turn when they began to joke about how pointless Captain Boomerang was. They had things in common, oddly.

Then something buzzed loudly.

"That's the pizza man," She said and without another word hopped into an elevator. She was gone for fifteen minutes before returning with an epic amount of cold meats.

"You didn't direct someone to your base did you?" Shark wished he had the fortitude to be more polite, but he couldn't resist the urge to dig in immediately after asking her a question.

"I didn't. I have a 'safehouse' not too far from here and a sensor that tells me when people are there." She didn't seem to mind his poor table manners at all.

"Did you actually pay the guy 10 thousand?" Shark's words were muffled by mouthfuls of flesh.

"Yup." Tanya's lips disappeared for a moment.

"Where'd you even get that money?" Nanaue turned to her and saw an unsure look on her face. "Thankyou... I mean."

Tanya shrugged and smiled, "I'll make that much again by the time you finish eating. It's no prob. I don't want to get eaten."

"I couldn't eat someone who's so kind." Nanaue heard how strange that sounded the moment he said it and scratched his head nervously, "I mean. You didn't scream in fear when you saw me... you didn't turn me in. It's hard to trust anyone." He slapped his face, "I'm talking too much."

Out of the blue, he felt her small, warm hands on his shoulder, and then her soft lips planted a burning kiss on his cheek. His face got hot.

"Shut up and eat then." Tanya smiled and sauntered away.


End file.
